Each week this All Blacks team is breaking so many records that many of them are not getting the sort of fanfare they deserve. In last night’s victory Ma’a Nonu became the 35th player to get 50 test caps for the All Blacks and Tony Woodcock became the most experienced test prop in All Black history. Both records were achieved with minimal fanfare. The exploits of the current team is bringing familiar criticism of the All Blacks notorious record of peak in between world cups and their inability to win the big trophy.

Here’s a list of some of the achievements and records the All Blacks have made or could possibly make in 2010.

Tony Woodcock overtook former team mate Greg Somerville as the most capped All Black prop, with 67 caps.

The nine wins in a row against the Wallabies is equal to their best streak against them, drawing with run the All Blacks had from 1936 to 1947.

Ma’a Nonu played his 50th test.

Joe Rokocoko became the most capped All Black wing of all time, over taking All Black greats John Kirwan and Jonah Lomu. His 46 test tries has him second on the All Black try scoring list, equal with Christian Cullen. Rokocoko needs 49 tries to be equal with Doug Howlett as the highest test try scorer for the All Blacks.

This season the All Blacks overtook France as having scored the most points and the most tries in test rugby. They did it in 200 fewer test matches.

Richie McCaw and Mils Muliaina both have 87 test caps. They are 5 short of Sean Fitzpatrick’s All Black test cap record of 92.

Richie McCaw now has Sean Fitzpatrick’s record of most wins by an All Black captain, and he’s about to pass his record of 51 tests as captain. Saturday’s test was McCaw’s 50th as All Black captain.

Saturday’s All Black starting 15 had a combined 717 test caps. They are three short of the world record of 720 test caps, set by Ireland in 2007.

Joe Rokocoko, Richie McCaw, Tony Woodcock and Mils Muliaina are now the most experienced All Black players ever in their respective positions.

Dan Carter became the first All Black to pass 1000 test points. He needs 65 more points to reach Jonny Wilkinson’s record of 1178.

The Bulls have won the 2010 Super 14, the last of it’s kind as it takes the form of a Super 15 next year complete with a new format. The Bulls won 25 points to 17 at Soweto’s Orlando stadium, with Morne Steyne kicking 20 points and missing just one kick. Francois Hougaard scored the Bulls only try in an impressive, individual effort. The Stormers will surely take heart from finally delivering on all their promise, and will be even better in 2011. They scored two tries, one to Enrico Januarie and the standard intercept try to Bryan Habana. Peter Grant converted both tries and kicked a penalty.

The Bulls always looked too strong and at one stage in the first half were leading 16-0. The Stormers came back to within 6 points but Morne Steyne penalty kicked the Bulls through to victory.

Morne Steyne continues his two-season dominance in Super Rugby scoring 263 Super Rugby points in 2010, a new record. In fact, he has eclipsed Crusaders fly-half Dan Carter’s record by 42 points. His epic point scoring is also an indication of just how dominant the Bulls have been this year.

It is the Bull’s third Super 14 title in four seasons. Fellow Super Rugby teams will be hoping the eventual retirements of old warriors like Victor Matfield and suspended lock partner Bakkies Botha will help bring the team back into line in the future. Australian and New Zealand teams will be hoping the same goes for many of the experienced Springboks dominating at all levels of rugby right now.

The Crusaders and Waratahs have convincingly won their virtual quarter finals and the Hurricanes’ and Brumbies’ seasons are over.

The Crusaders scored 40 points to the Brumbies’ 22. Sean Maitland, Kieran Read, Owen Franks, Richie McCaw and Zac Guildford scored tries for the Crusaders. Dan Carter had an off night with the boot but still kicked 4 conversions and 3 penalties. Tyrone Smith, Ben Alexander and Huia Edmonds scored tries for the Brumbies, with Matt Giteau kicking 2 conversions and 1 penalty.

In an equally comfortable game the Waratahs beat the Hurricanes 32 to 16. Conrad Smith scored the solitary try for the Hurricanes, and Piri Weepu kicked the conversion and 3 penalties. The Waratahs did everything in twos. For their bonus point win both Kurtley Beale and Drew Mitchell scored two tries, and Berrick Barnes kicked 2 conversions and 2 penalties.

Unless a series of mysterious events unfold and the inform Stormers lose or draw to the heavily rotated Bulls team then the final four, in order, will be the Bulls, Stormers, Waratahs and Crusaders. This would mean both the Waratahs and Crusaders will have to fly to South Africa to play the Stormers and Bulls respectively.

The ten essential tips for succeeding in Fantasy Rugby

Fantasy Rugby is essentially a game of luck, especially early on in a rugby season. Unpredictable games and players, and nuances in the scoring and point counting systems combine to make your success in each round pretty much just luck of the draw. However, there are a number of tips to reduce the unpredictability and give yourself more power over your team’s success. These tips are not rocket science, but they have served me relatively well in my eight years of playing in fantasy rugby leagues.

1. Fantasy Rugby Tip One: Always have a valid team!
If one of your playing spots is vacant before the round cut-off time your team is considered invalid. This means your entire team will not accumulate any points in that round. The entire round becomes a write-off. Having an invalid team for a round is impossible to recover from as you give everyone else too much of a head start.

2. Fantasy Rugby Tip Two: Double Check all your team members have been named to start.
On round cut off day I compare each member of my team against the latest team announcements. Having a member of your team withdraw with injury means the player needs to be replaced immediately. Having non-players in your team, especially in the key point scoring positions such as inside packs and loose forwards, will severely lower your points for that round. The benefit of being prompt with selling injured players means you will get a better price for them than people who sell them later.

3. Fantasy Rugby Tip Three: Be wary of team changes too close to the deadline.
I once made an arbitrary change to the locks in my fantasy rugby team an hour before the deadline cut off. As I was about to replace the player I sold my computer froze and I was unable to get back online to replace him. The time ticked away as I frantically tried to use a mobile phone to buy a player, any player. As the minutes to the deadline got closer the site became more and more unresponsive. I ended up with an invalid team. The worst part was I didn’t really need to sell the player; I was just trying to tweak the team a little.

4. Fantasy Rugby Tip Four: Put your money where it counts
I am a big proponent of spending my money on the big point earning positions. These are usually the inside backs and loose forwards. You cannot win without players like Dan Carter, Matt Giteau, or Jonny Wilkinson. On most rounds they are point making machines, and so I pay whatever it takes to get it. If having Dan Carter in my time means I have to have a replacement prop taking a spot in the front then that is a price I am willing to pay.

I usually place a lot of emphasis on loose forwards too, and a player like Richie McCaw is almost as essential as Dan Carter. However, the rule changes recently are challenging that philosophy because openside flankers are not making as many turnovers or one on one tackles as they used to. In the 2010 Fantasy Super 14 Test Rugby competition Richie McCaw offered very poor value for money.

A good line-breaking midfield or outside back, like Ma’a Nonu can also be invaluable. However, I find that investing too much money in such a player can be risky as they can be shut down or have off games. It depends how much money you have to play with though.

Some people put their money elsewhere. Someone in my Fantasy Rugby league advocated spending the most money on the tight five, particularly the locks. While in actual rugby union the game is still won up front, in my opinion this is not the case in Fantasy Rugby.

5. Fantasy Rugby Tip Five: Don’t waste your money
Don’t waste your money where you won’t get a return for your investment. Just as more money should be spent on positions that provide the most return, don’t waste it on positions where there won’t be. When my fledgling team is starting out I spend as little money as possible on the front row players. If I can find a cheap hooker then that’s great. In the 2010 Fantasy Super 14 Test Rugby competition Pek Cowan was originally cheaper than most of the props and he was starting at hooker. Props are generally a waste of money in Fantasy Rugby, but if having them allows me more money to invest elsewhere then I still buy them.

6. Fantasy Rugby Tip Six: Watch for mis-positioning of players.
Sometimes due to a mistake in position allocating to players or the versatility of players you will have players set as a certain position in fantasy rugby, but playing in another in actual rugby. A common example of this is with locks and loose forwards and inside and outside backs. A good opportunity to capitalise on this is when a player is playing as a loose forward is allocated as a lock in fantasy rugby. Loose forwards generally earn more points so this is a good opportunity to get another one on the ‘field’. For his first couple of years as a professional rugby player flanker and number 8 Kieran Read was named in fantasy rugby and test rugby as a cheap lock, even though he rarely played in that position.

7. Fantasy Rugby Tip Seven: Be aware of Bye rounds.
It is important to note when teams have their bye rounds. If you are short of trades then it is not a good idea to buy a player you will have to sell the next week because their team is not playing. Also, be quick to sell players when their team has a bye so you get more money than other people do for that player. Likewise, buy players as soon as their team returns from a bye so you get a cheaper deal. There is an element of risk in this because they haven’t been named to start, but make an educated guess on whether they’ll play and the reward should outweigh the risk.

8. Fantasy Rugby Tip Eight: Look further ahead when buying players
Think about upcoming games and byes before buying a player. If you are deciding between two players and one is playing a weak team a week later, then choose that one. Likewise, look to which player first and let that help you decide. When starting a fantasy rugby series I try to pick players who I won’t have to sell for a while, and this helps ensure I have enough trades later.

9. Fantasy Rugby Tip Nine: Load up against the worse teams
Weak teams are a license to print points in fantasy rugby, particularly for goal kickers and line breakers. An example of this would be the current Lions team in the Super 14. If I have enough trades I load up against teams like this. The downside to playing these teams is that rugby coaches often use the opportunity to rotate their team. Be sure to check your player is actually starting when the teams have been named in case they have been rotated out.

10. Fantasy Rugby Tip ten: Beat the pack when replacing players
Use player replacement as an opportunity to enhance your team’s value. If a player needs to be sold, perhaps if their team has a buy or they are injured, then the sooner you sell the better price you will get. This is especially true if he is a very popular player that everyone will be selling. If you need to buy a player then the quicker you buy him the cheaper he will be.

These tips won’t ensure you beat everyone else in your fantasy rugby league, nothing can in sport. However what it can do is give you more control and power to be more strategic. By the end of a few rounds I usually have more money and more remaining trades than other players, and that gives me more control of my team than they have of theirs. By the middle of the competition I can afford any player I want, and have enough trades to swap players more liberally.

If the Tri-Nations Started tomorrow, which All Black backs would take the field? It’s difficult to pick an All Blacks team considering the form of the current incumbents. In many cases it comes down to having to choose between experience and form. Halfback, for example, sees Alby Matthewson and Khan Fotuali’i showing the best form and the incumbents struggling. A balance needs to be met, but if a must-win test was being played tomorrow, Graham Henry is most likely to err on the side of experience.

15. Fullback: Isaia Toeava.
This is an extremely competitive position in New Zealand’s teams, and with regular custodian Mils Muliaina injured, the spot is wide open. Toeava, Corey Jane and Israel Dagg are having good years. As a combination, Toeava and Jane win. With his huge kick Toeava takes the spot and Jane retains his All Black spot on the wing.

11. and 14. Wings. Corey Jane and Joe Rokocoko.
As mentioned, Jane keeps his right wing spot from the End of Year Tour. Despite preferring to play fullback, Jane will have to settle for forming a right wing/fullback combination with Isaia Toeava. It’s the best use of both of their talents.
To complement Corey Jane, a playmaker is needed on the left wing. In the absence of Sitiveni Sivivatu, this job goes to Joe Rokocoko, in the position he began his career at 60 tests ago. He needs to continue to up his work rate, but so far in the Super 14 the signs are good. The other form wing, Zac Guilford, misses out in order to bring some variety to the back three. Despite all his skills at chasing offloads, his work rate, and reliability, the All Blacks need a playmaker here, in my position. Ben Smith is difficult to rate considering the form of his Super 14 team.

13. Centre. Conrad Smith.
No question. While previously he was under threat by Richard Kahui, Kahui just isn’t challenging at the moment. Kahui is making good turnovers with his big hits, but is too often guilty of allowing his line to be broken; his missed tackle statistics tell a sorry story. Admittedly he is under more pressure here due to the umbrella defence the Chiefs employ. His poor handling against the Bulls last week were incredibly costly. Conrad Smith, on the other hand, is super reliable on defence and the difference he makes to Ma’a Nonu’s attack when they play together is telling. I’m noticing more of a physical presence this year when he has the ball in hand too, as well as the usual . An honourable mention goes to Robbie Freun. He’s making fast progress, but not fast enough to make the team just yet.

12. Second-Five. Ma’a Nonu.
As with centre, there just isn’t a realistic alternative at the moment. Luke McAllister is being kept out of the starting Blues team by Benson Stanley. Stephen Donald is showing he is a potential bench cover, but fans will be popping blood vessels if they see him starting at no. 12 again. While the only realistic contender, Nonu isn’t having his best year. He needs to tighten his game up, particularly on defence.

10. First-Five. Dan Carter.
As usual, Carter just isn’t being challenged, and he isn’t even in his best form. Hopefully the added pressure of playing in the black jersey will help him sort out his recent kicking wobbles. Having started the last two weeks in a row, Mike Delany is looking like the most likely back up. The jury remains out on whether he is big enough for the test arena, but he looks to have certainly overtaken Donald is the second best first five in New Zealand. Despite all the recent media coverage, Stephen Brett really isn’t consistent enough for test rugby yet. Aaron Cruden and Robbie Robertson are also yet to live up to the hype. New Zealand fans will continue to hold their respective breaths every time Dan Carter gets tackled.

9. Half-Back. Jimmy Cowan.
It’s an interesting time for halfbacks in New Zealand. The best ones seem to be the un(test)capped Khan Fotuali’i and Alby Matthewson. I don’t know whether it will be enough for Graham Henry to risk debuting a halfback just yet, so Cowan gets it by default. Brendon Leonard is showing a bit more spark, but is making too many errors. Piri Weepu is out of form at the moment as well.

In a week where four of the New Zealand teams had games at home, it took the Crusaders to stop an unwanted whitewash in round 9 of the Super 14. The Chiefs started proceedings by giving the Bulls a 5-point victory in Hamilton on Friday, losing 19 – 33.

Saturday should have been a festival of New Zealand victories, with all three home teams being odds-on favourites. Only the Blues were playing someone ahead of them on the table, and they were fresh off beating competition leaders the Bulls the week before.

The first game of the Saturday was the Highlanders hosting the Force in Queenstown. The dramatic backdrop of The Remarkables must surely make for the most picturesque playing venue of any televised sport. It wasn’t enough inspiration for the Highlanders though, who after swapping leads with the Force throughout the match, eventually lost 27 – 41. Former All Black David Hill, temporarily helping his former coach John Mitchell at the Force, showed his experience and composure throughout the match.

The Blues were unable to carry their promising form from the week before into their match against the Stormers who overwhelmed the Blues to an early 19-0 lead. The Blues forgot how hard they worked to against the Bulls the week before and seemed to think the win against the Stormers would be easy. The final score was the Stormers 33, the Blues 21. One of the highlights of the match included a huge fend by Isaia Toeava to bust the line, before linking with Joe Rokocoko twice before Rokocoko scored for the Blues.

Three games in, it was up to the Crusaders to stop the whitewash on NZ soil by beating the table topping Waratahs in Christchurch. Despite being a bit off with the boot at the moment, Dan Carter did enough to overtake Stirling Mortlock and become the leading point scorer in Super Rugby history. With 5 penalties on the night, Carter ended with 1022 Super Rugby Points. A late miss gave the Waratahs a bonus point. The style of the win would have not just Crusaders fans worried, but as New Zealand’s only realistic chance, all New Zealand fans worried. The final score was 20 to 13 with the Crusaders’ Kahn Fotuali’i and the Waratahs’ Rob Horne scoring tries.

In other Super 14 results, Australian teams thrashed their respective South African opponents. A cricket score looked to be on the cards early on in the Reds v Lions match, before finishing 41 – 26 to the Reds at Coca Cola Park in Johannesburg. As expected, the Brumbies had a field day against the Cheetahs at Canberra Stadium in Canberra, winning 61 to 15.

Stirling Mortlock has signed for new Super rugby team, the Melbourne Rebels. The news is surprising because Morlock was expected to head to Japan after this year. Having lost the Wallabies and Brumbies captaincy, and his body struggling to hold up to the Super 14 pace, an end to his illustrious ruby career in Australia seemed imminent. The lower impact and lighter playing schedule and the chance to set himself up financially before retiring from playing made Japan seem like a logical choice.

It will be the third time Morlock has linked up with Melbourne Rebels coach Rob Macqueen. Macqueen selected him for his debut for the Brumbies and the Wallabies, so it seems fitting that he would also select him for his rugby curtain call.

Despite the clear risks of signing such an injury prone player at the end of his career, it seems like a good move for the new Super team. He is a marquis signing as far as leadership goes, whether that be on or off the field. Macqueen has said that he can switch to a backroom role at any point during his new three year contract. He becomes the tenth player to sign for the new franchise, and clearly legitimises them in the bid to attract high profile players. Other signings include former England no. 10 Danny Cipriani and rising Reds prop Laurie Weeks.

Mortlock has indicated that a motivator to stay in Australia was the chance to extend his 80 Wallabies test caps and fight for a place in the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. The big centre is currently the only player to score over a thousand super points, although Dan Carter is hot on his tail.